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Ragnak squinted at the paper in front of him, before rubbing his eyes with both hands, sighing. The man sat there for some time before he brushed the blonde hair tangling before his face out of the way, then looked back at the parchment. "K... Kap... Tain... Kaptain?... Oh, Captain Talvar. Gone... North with... Ale...Drin. Right, Aeldrïn, his elf friend. " Ragnak shook his head at the letter. Talvar had insisted that he should learn to read if he was to take a higher position in the Talons, so Ragnak readily agreed to it. Ragnak had killed a bear during his trials as a boy, what sort of a challenge could reading pose to a man such as he? Well, that's what he thought at the time. Now, however, the big man would much prefer a bear or two. Ragnak made quick work of a mug of mead, then thought of his friend and captain, Talvar. Smug little worm, probably having the damn time of his life up there... "I'm leaving you in charge here, Ragnak," he says. "Get some contracts and more members, keep the money flowing." Well, I did that. Didn't bother to mention it'd be this boring. To think, I'm stuck here while he's probably just hauling in the silver and gold from those rich Burthorpians...

Many, many miles away, in the wastelands of Forinthry, tied to a pole in the middle of a marauder campsite, sat Talvar and Aeldrïn. They sat there, back to back against the pole, talking in low voices. "Far as I can tell, they're taking us to a fort." Talvar said, in little more than a whisper. "The buildings in this godsforsaken place may be ancient, but damn, did they know how to build dungeons. If they get us in there, the only way we're getting out is by them burying us, if they don't just leave our corpses there to rot." Aeldrïn shifted about in his spot, trying stand a little, just to see if he could. He almost stood, when a rock pelted him in the stomach, as one of the marauders shouted, "stay on your ass, elf!"
Aeldrïn grunted at he was hit, and fell to the floor. "Well," the elf said, "if you have any brilliant ideas, I'm all ears." They sat there in silence for a few minutes, until Talvar had an idea...

As the band of marauders neared closer to their goal, they seemed to march without an end, even well into the night. But, all men need their rest, and as the troop slowed to a halt, Talvar and Aeldrïn saw their chance. "Now or never," Talvar said to Ael. "Hey, you there!" Talvar shouted to their keeper. "We need a privy break while we're stopped!" Grumbling, their keeper called over someone to help them watch the elf and man, and lead them away from the group so they could do their business. Taking off their belts, Talvar and Aeldrïn attempted to strangle their captors so they could get away. Aeldrïn was successful, and snapped his watcher's neck for good measure. Talvar, however, had no such luck. Talvar was knocked flat on his back, and was knocked out with a swift blow to the head. Aeldrïn quickly silenced the marauder, but not before he drew attention from the rest of the group. Seeing no other option, Aeldrïn ran into the forest, leaving Talvar's limp body there on the ground for the marauders to recapture him. I'm sorry, Tal, the elf thought as he ran into a forest, fleeing the band of marauders.